European Commission communication (COM(2010) 352 final) — Europe, the world’s No 1 tourist destination — a new political framework for tourism in Europehttps://www.eea.europa.eu/policy-documents/european-commission-communication-com-2010
To maintain Europe’s position as the world’s top tourist destination, the European Commission put forward a series of suggestions for coordinated actions at European Union (EU) level. These are designed to increase the tourism sector’s competitiveness and capacity for sustainable growth and delivering quality. No publishereconomic competitivenessimpacts of tourismsustainable development2017/06/21 20:04:30 GMT+2Policy DocumentTowards global sustainabilityhttps://www.eea.europa.eu/articles/towards-global-sustainability
In August this year, more than 190 countries reached a consensus on the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. And later this month, Heads of State will adopt this Agenda along with its Sustainable Development Goals and targets in New York. Unlike their predecessors, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are both for developing and developed countries and focus on a broader range of sustainable development topics. Many of the 17 SDGs include elements related to the environment, resource use or climate change.It is encouraging to see this global and more comprehensive commitment to sustainability. Recognising that sustainable development is both a challenge and a necessity for developing and developed countries is certainly a step in the right direction.

In this context, the overall objective of the European Union’s 7th Environment Action Programme is in line with the SDGs: ‘In 2050, we live well, within the planet’s ecological limits’. A significant number of measures have been put in place in the EU to achieve this goal. However, the global nature of our economy and our environment makes it more difficult for countries or groups of countries acting together (such as the EU) to solve environmental problems on their own. For example, regardless of where they were released, greenhouse gas emissions contribute to global atmospheric concentrations, producing impacts far from the source — and potentially far into the future.

Without a global effort and transition to true sustainability, we risk undermining well-being and quality of life across the planet. Our report ‘The European environment — state and outlook 2015’ (SOER 2015) shows that current consumption and production patterns enhance our quality of life — and paradoxically put it at risk at the same time.

Approaching limits

SOER 2015 also points out that there are indications that our economies are approaching the ecological limits within which they are embedded, and that we are already experiencing some of the effects of physical and environmental resource constraints. Available estimates suggest that total global consumption exceeds the planet's regenerative capacity by more than 50%. In other words, we are consuming more than what our planet can produce in a given period without weakening its production capacity.

Some global megatrends cause additional concern. Today, less than 2 billion of the global population of 7 billion are regarded as middle class consumers. By 2050, the number of people on the planet is expected to reach 9 billion, with more than 5 billion belonging to the middle class. This growth is likely to intensify global competition for resources and to exert additional demands on ecosystems.

Global materials use may double by 2030. World demand for energy and water are both projected to rise by between 30% and 40% over the next 20 years. Similarly, total demand for food, feed, and fibre is projected to grow by about 60% between now and 2050.

Escalating resource scarcities and increased competition raise concerns about security of access to supplies of key resources. Growing concerns about food, water and energy security have fuelled transnational land acquisitions in the last 5–10 years, primarily in developing countries.

Europe and global sustainability

The European Union is an important global player as a producer and a consumer. Most European countries’ ecological footprint currently exceeds their available biologically productive area, or 'biocapacity'. Moreover, given the EU’s trade with the rest of the world, a considerable share of the environmental pressures associated with consumption in the EU is felt outside the EU's territory. Furthermore, the share of the environmental footprint of EU demand that is exerted outside EU borders has increased during the past decade for land, water, and material use, as well as for air emissions.

In recent years, global environmental issues have been framed in terms of tipping points, limits, and gaps. This framing has not yet been reflected in societies, economies, finance systems, political ideologies and knowledge systems, which still do not operate with the idea of planetary boundaries or limits. However, our planet has limited amounts of key resources such as water and land.

In a global economic system bound by limited resources and faced with growing global demand and environmental degradation, a resource-efficient, green economy is the only viable option. A transition to green economy entails fundamental changes to the way we produce and consume goods and services, build cities, transport people and goods, grow food and so on.

Policies aimed at greening the economy do not need to be seen as hurdles or costly. On the contrary, they can be turned into opportunities. Many economic sectors in Europe have succeeded reducing material demand and emissions or breaking the link between economic growth and emissions. For example, the environment industry sector grew by more than 50% in size between 2000 and 2011. It is one of the few economic sectors in the EU to have flourished since the 2008 financial crisis.

Similarly, population growth and increasing competition for resources can also be seen as forces bringing about the necessary systemic change. To accommodate them, we can start by building spatially planned cities worldwide, with key systems, such as energy, mobility and transport, that do not exert pressure on natural capital and are as close to ‘zero-carbon’ and ‘zero waste’ as possible.

The concept of the ‘green economy’ has emerged in recent years as a strategic priority for governments and intergovernmental organisations.[e.g. 1][2] In Europe, it features prominently in a range of medium- and long-term EU programmes and strategies, including the Europe 2020 Strategy,[3] the 7th Environment Action Programme,[4] the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (Horizon 2020)[5] and sectoral policies in areas such as transport and energy.

Figure 1: Correlation of ecological footprint (2008) and the human development index (2012)

The growing prominence of the green economy in EU policy reflects a recognition that the prevailing economic paradigm is inconsistent with Europe’s long-term development goals, encapsulated in the 2050 vision of ‘living well within the planet’s limits’.[4] Across the world, the transition to high levels of human development has been achieved by adopting production and consumption patterns that put a disproportionate burden on the environment (Figure 1). As a result, some countries today live well, while others live within the limits of the planet. None do both.

A ‘green’ economy is essentially one in which socio-economic systems are organised in ways that enable society to live well within planetary boundaries. The concept therefore has several dimensions. The first is a focus on increasing resource efficiency: identifying the innovations and approaches that enable society to extract maximum value from resources and minimise harmful emissions and waste.

Although essential, resource efficiency alone will not guarantee that natural capital stocks are maintained for future generations or that economic activity delivers acceptable living standards and social cohesion. Efforts to enhance resource efficiency must therefore be complemented with a focus on ecosystem resilience and on people's well-being. After all, an economic model that transcends ecosystem boundaries will not be sustainable in the long term; one that cannot provide decent jobs and earnings will not be politically or socially viable.

Trends

Resource efficiency

Europe’s resource efficiency has increased in recent years, alleviating some of the environmental pressures associated with economic production. For example, EU-28 greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 19 % since 1990 despite a 45 % increase in gross domestic product. Fossil fuel use has also declined, as have emissions of some pollutants from transport and industry. More recently, the EU’s total resource use has declined by 19 % since 2007, less waste is being generated and recycling rates have improved in nearly every country.

These trends potentially mark important progress in Europe’s efforts to reconfigure its production-consumption systems but significant problems persist. European resource use and harmful emissions remain high in absolute terms. Some of the apparent efficiency improvements may partially reflect the relocation of material extraction and manufacturing to other parts of the world. And the level of ambition of existing environmental policy may be inadequate to achieve Europe’s long-term environment and climate objectives. For example, projected greenhouse gas emissions reductions are currently insufficient to bring the EU onto a pathway towards its target of reducing emissions by 80–95 % by 2050.

Environmental resilience and people's well-being

In addition, Europe’s recent progress in reducing environmental pressures has not always been matched by improved ecosystem resilience or reduced risks to people's health and well-being. For example, although water pollution is declining, most freshwater bodies across Europe are not expected to achieve good ecological status by 2015. Similarly, Europe is not on track to meet its overall target of halting biodiversity loss by 2020, even though some more specific targets are being met. Loss of soil functions, land degradation and climate change remain major threats to ecosystem resilience, undermining flows of environmental goods and services and therefore jeopardising the social resilience of communities reliant on them.

Turning to people's health and well-being, there have been marked improvements in the quality of drinking water and bathing water and some reductions in hazardous pollutants. However, air and noise pollution continue to cause serious health impacts. In 2011, about 430 000 premature deaths in the EU were attributed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5),[7] while exposure to environmental noise is estimated to contribute to at least 10 000 premature deaths due to coronary heart disease and strokes each year.[8] Environmental impacts on human health and well-being are particularly pronounced in urban settings where multiple pressures coexist. Conversely, well planned urban areas providing easy access to natural, green environments can deliver substantial health and well-being benefits, including protection from the impacts of climate change.[9]

Environmental policies are also creating socio-economic opportunities and thereby contributing to the Europe 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. For example, employment in the environment industry sector, which produces goods and services that reduce environmental degradation and maintain natural resources, increased by 44 % between 2000 and 2011, while sectoral value added increased by 57 %. It has been one of the few economic sectors to have flourished in terms of revenues, trade and jobs since the 2008 financial crisis.

Response

The trends set out above indicate that although policy has delivered some important advances, Europe remains a long way from achieving the transition to a green economy.

In part this reflects the fact that the complex links between environmental and socio-economic systems can undermine efforts to reduce environmental pressures and related impacts. For example, technology-driven efficiency gains may be undermined by lifestyle changes or increased consumption, partly because efficiency improvements can make outputs cheaper (the rebound effect). Policies and local management efforts can be counteracted by external pressures related to global megatrends. Changing exposure patterns and human vulnerabilities, for example linked to urbanisation, can offset reductions in pressures. And the unsustainable systems of production and consumption that are responsible for many environmental pressures also provide diverse benefits, such as jobs and earnings, which can create strong incentives for sectors or communities to resist change.

The systemic, transboundary and long-term characteristics of the environmental challenges facing Europe indicate that neither environmental policies alone, nor economic and technology-driven efficiency gains will be sufficient to effect the transition to a green economy. Rather, transition will require more fundamental changes in the global production-consumption systems that meet basic demands, such as for food, mobility, energy and shelter.

The 7th Environment Action Programme sets out four key pillars of an enabling framework for the transition to a green economy: implementation, integration, information and investments. In a green economy approach, the focus is on identifying synergies that enable economic, environmental and social objectives to be advanced concurrently.

For example, implementation of environmental regulations plays an important role in protecting ecosystems but can also contribute to enhanced resource-efficiency by incentivising companies to invest in eco-innovation. This in turn gives businesses a ‘first-mover’ advantage to export their innovations abroad, thus generating earnings and jobs. Major EU engineering companies already earn up to 40 % of revenues from their environment portfolios, and this is set to increase.[10] Similarly, taxing environmentally damaging activities can raise revenues, allowing governments to reduce taxes on labour or reduce budget deficits. Combined with eliminating environmentally harmful subsidies, such fiscal reforms are essential in the transition to a green economy.

The green economy perspective provides a framework for integrating the environment into the policies of key economic sectors. For example, European policy on material resource use can be represented as a nested set of objectives (Figure 2). Whereas a circular economy focuses on optimising material resource flows by minimising waste, the green economy approach extends the focus to how water, energy, land and biodiversity should be managed to secure ecosystem resilience and human well-being. The green economy also addresses wider issues, such as competitiveness and unequal exposure to environmental pressures and access to green spaces.

In addition, efforts to promote a renaissance of industry in Europe[e.g.11] could form part of an integrated approach to managing production and consumption so as to ensure that efficiency improvements are secured across the supply chain.

Figure 2: The green economy as an integrating framework for policies on material use

Expanding the environmental knowledge base can support better implementation and integration of environment and climate policy, inform investment choices, and support long-term transitions. An expanded knowledge base also enables policymakers and businesses to take decisions that fully reflect environmental limits, risks, uncertainties, benefits and costs.

At present there is a gap between available, established monitoring, data and indicators and the knowledge required to support transitions. Addressing this gap requires investment in better understanding of systems science, forward-looking information, systemic risks, and the relationship between environmental change and human well-being. Accounting systems — both physical and monetary — are also important to inform policy and investment decisions, because getting the balance right between use, protection and enhancement of natural capital requires information on the current status of stocks and flows.[12][13]

Investment has an essential role in the transition to a green economy, in part because the systems that meet basic social needs such as water, energy and mobility rely on costly and long-lasting infrastructure. Investment choices can therefore have long-term implications for the functioning of these systems and their impacts, as well as for the viability of alternative technologies. Transitions depend in part on avoiding investments that lock in existing technologies, limit options, or hinder the development of substitutes.

Enormous amounts of capital are needed to finance infrastructure such as smart electrical grids, renewable energies, electrification of transport, and resource-efficient buildings. In addition to fiscal reforms, innovative financing mechanisms, such as the project bond initiative of the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, socially responsible investments (SRI), green bonds and sovereign wealth funds (SWF), are potential tools for supplying the needed funds.[14]

Designing actionable, credible and feasible green economy pathways can put Europe at the frontier of science and technology. But effecting the needed transitions will demand ingenuity, creativity, courage and a greater sense of urgency.

]]>No publishergreen growthsustainabilitysustainable developmenteco-innovationsystemic perspectivesresource efficiency2015/02/18 02:00:00 GMT+2BriefingRio+20 – time to rethink the way we use natural resources https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/rio-20-2013-time-to
This week the Rio de Janeiro summit on sustainable development will open. Rio+20 is an opportunity to look back at changes in our environment since the first Earth Summit in 1992, and also a time to look to the future, re-evaluating the way our economies and our societies depend on the environment and natural resources. In the 20-year gap between the two Rio summits, the earth's population has grown from 5.4 billion in 1992 to more than 7 billion now – a leap of almost 30 %. This has had a knock-on effect on global use of natural resources, in tandem with increasing per capita consumption levels.

Although greenhouse gas emissions have fallen within Europe, globally they have jumped by approximately a third over 20 years, and the number of tonnes of natural resources extracted has also leapt by a third in the same period. These figures mask huge inequalities – per capita resource use and emissions are many times higher in some countries compared to others.

Many critics of the current economic model point out that it is premised on ever-increasing exploitation of natural resources, while materials and the planet's capacity to absorb waste are limited.

Jacqueline McGlade, EEA Executive Director said: "The current economic model is heading toward obsolescence. Its obsolescence is even more obvious if we want to improve living conditions and opportunities for the poorest people while we continue to demand ever more stuff in the richer parts of the world. Rio +20 gives us the opportunity to start to build an inclusive green economy, which benefits both people and the environment."

In Rio, heads of state will discuss global targets for sustainability indicators, to help move towards a green economy. It is also hoped that the conference will be the starting point for new cooperation between states, the private sector, international organisations and civil society.

On Sunday 17 June, the EEA presented a new film, 'Planet RE:think', which tells the story of unsustainable resource use. The documentary shows the truly global nature of the problem, from environmentally devastating mining in Canada to recycling of electronic waste in India which damages the health of workers. The feature-length film also includes positive examples of ‘green economy' policies and business models, from Ecuador to South Africa.

You can see the first edit of this exciting project below:

]]>No publisherrio conferencegreen economysustainable development2012/06/19 09:40:00 GMT+2NewsWater: how can we account for our most vital resource?https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/water-how-can-we-account
The world is entering a period of growing water scarcity: by 2030, global demand for fresh water could outstrip supply by more than 40 % if water is used in the same way that it is today. These stark figures are the background to a new report from the International Resource Panel, a group of natural resources experts hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme.The report 'Measuring Water Use in a Green Economy' argues that while the world faces serious water problems, their causes are often economic, social and political in nature, rather than bio-physical. These problems can be solved by balancing water use and needs between different sectors and ecosystems.

The report serves as a powerful reminder just weeks ahead of the Rio +20 global summit on sustainable development that the world needs to radically rethink the way it uses natural resources.

The lead author of the report, Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency (EEA), said: "Many parts of the world could face a water crisis in the future, not because they do not have enough water, but because they are not using it smartly enough. Accurate water accounts quantifying the amount of water we can safely use can help us use this resource both wisely and fairly."

The growing demands placed on water supply are not only the result of population growth, but also a result of the way in which our economies develop, according to the Resource Panel. Since 1900, humanity's water consumption has grown at twice the rate of population growth, jumping from 600 billion cubic metres in 1900 to 4,500 billion cubic metres in 2010.

People are not the only water users – environmental systems also need water to function. Maintaining these 'ecosystem services' should be seen as vitally important, as they form the basis of the European economy, the report argues.

Water accounting is a crucial tool for the purpose of water management and making economic assessments, alongside GDP growth and other economy-wide indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions. Ecosystem services should be considered within such resource accounting schemes to establish the links between resource efficiency, biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The private sector is showing increasing interest in taking water resources into account when considering future business. For public bodies to determine water balances, the report states that it is important to produce quantitative estimates of stocks and flows. Water accounts should also include other information, such as analysis of the impact of fluctuations and uncertainties associated with the global hydrological cycle, water licences, access rights and water quality.

]]>No publisherresource efficiencywater consumptionsustainable development2012/05/10 11:20:00 GMT+2NewsRio 2012 is an opportunity to move towards a green economyhttps://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/rio-2012-is-an-opportunity
In less than two months, world leaders will gather in Rio de Janeiro for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. It is 20 years since the last Rio conference, and Rio 2012 is an opportunity to assess the progress made toward sustainable development since 1992 and begin building a Green Economy.Speaking in Copenhagen at a conference organised by the ethical investment research group EIRIS, Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency, today addressed the subject of ‘Investing sustainably: Rio+20 and beyond’.

A lot has happened in the past 20 years. The telecommunications and internet revolutions, the financial crisis, and the rise of the developing world have radically altered the foundations of policymaking that existed in 1992. Is the idea of sustainable development still relevant in a world where western countries lack money to invest? Is it relevant in a world where billions of people seek to enjoy the comfort of middle class lifestyles, which so often involve unsustainable consumption?

The answer is yes. Sustainable development is more relevant now than ever.

The world has certainly become more complex since 1992. 20 years ago, policy-makers were only starting to link environmental problems with development issues. But we now have ample evidence of just how interlinked these issues are. Further complexity has been added by the financial crisis, and by the growing awareness of our dependency on a dwindling stock of natural resources. But this complexity has also brought clarity. We now know we must address all these issues together.

The idea of a ‘Green Economy’ is one of the concepts to have emerged in recent years as a way of thinking about sustainable development. Although there are several definitions of what a green economy is, it has three key aims:

to maximise resource efficiency, by reducing our use of water, fossil fuels, and mined materials as much as possible.

to ensure the ‘resilience’ of our ecosystems and the services they provide. For example, forests help absorb carbon and the seas provide us with fish, but we must use these resources prudently so they can replenish themselves.

to provide jobs and opportunities for the world’s growing population and meet their expectations of improved standards of living.

By 2050 the world’s population will be 9 billion people, up from 7 billion today. There will be 3 billion extra middle class consumers by 2030 and their raised living standards will put strain on the planet’s resources. The green economy provides a framework for our future development in a world that is facing ever-greater demand for food, land, water, materials and energy.

The technical challenges in creating a green economy are great, but they are surmountable. In fact, the greatest immediate challenge is financial. Most economies in the developed world are still reeling from the financial crisis, and almost all are embarking on austerity programmes. This climate of retrenchment is affecting appetite for investment in much-needed clean-technology. Investment in clean-tech, already insufficient before the financial crisis, is now falling even further.

If we are to create a green economy, we must overcome these barriers. Governments must create the right incentives to encourage the investment needed, while at the same time re-assessing what public-private partnerships might help to further the goal of sustainable development.

Rio 2012 is an opportunity for the world’s policy-makers to adopt a green economy roadmap for sustainable development for the next 20 years and beyond. It should contain specific goals and timetables as well as the policy actions these goals will require.

If we achieve this, we will be able to look back on the Rio conference as the point that the global economy was set on a green, inclusive and sustainable footing.

]]>No publisherfinancial crisisGREEN GROWTHsustainable developmentRio conferenceresource efficiencyresilience2012/04/30 15:40:00 GMT+2NewsRenewed EU strategy for Sustainable Development (2006)https://www.eea.europa.eu/policy-documents/renewed-eu-strategy-for-sustainable-development
full text of the Eu's renewaed strategy for sustainable development
10117/06 No publishersustainable development2012/03/28 12:19:16 GMT+2Policy DocumentGreen infrastructure and territorial cohesionhttps://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/green-infrastructure-and-territorial-cohesion
The concept of green infrastructure and its integration into policies using monitoring systemsNo publisherurbanecosystem servicessustainable developmentterritorial cohesionurban environmentlandscape2011/12/19 16:00:00 GMT+2PublicationThe Millennium Ecosystem Assessmenthttps://www.eea.europa.eu/policy-documents/the-millennium-ecosystem-assessment
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment assessed the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being. From 2001 to 2005, the MA involved the work of more than 1,360 experts worldwide. Their findings provide a state-of-the-art scientific appraisal of the condition and trends in the world’s ecosystems and the services they provide, as well as the scientific basis for action to conserve and use them sustainably. No publisherresearchsustainable developmentecosystems2011/12/16 14:31:11 GMT+2Policy DocumentReview of the European Union Strategy for Sustainable Developmenthttps://www.eea.europa.eu/policy-documents/review-of-the-european-union
In July 2009 the Commission adopted the 2009 Review of EU SDS . It underlines that in recent years the EU has mainstreamed sustainable development into a broad range of its policies. In particular, the EU has taken the lead in the fight against climate change and the promotion of a low-carbon economy. At the same time, unsustainable trends persist in many areas and the efforts need to be intensified. The review takes stock of EU policy measures in the areas covered by the EU SDS and launches a reflection on the future of the EU SDS and its relation to the Lisbon strategy. No publishersustainable development2011/12/16 14:23:51 GMT+2Policy DocumentLandscape fragmentation in Europehttps://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/landscape-fragmentation-in-europe
Joint EEA-FOEN reportNo publisherurbanbiodiversitysustainable developmentland use planningland usenature conservationland conservationlandscape planningland developmenturban planningurban environmentlandscape managementtrafficlandscape protection arealandscape fragmentationlandscape2011/09/05 13:40:00 GMT+2PublicationLiving in an interconnected worldhttps://www.eea.europa.eu/signals/signals-2011/articles/living-in-an-interconnected-world
'…the sheer weight of the combined aspirations and lifestyles of 500 million Europeans is just too great. Never mind the legitimate desires of many other billions on our planet to share those lifestyles.... We will need to change the behaviour of European consumers. To work on people's awareness and to influence their habits.' Janez Potočnik, European Union Commissioner for Environment (March 2010).

Five years ago Bisie was jungle. Located in the Wailikale territory, east Congo, it is now a cramped township as a result of the discovery of cassiterite, a derivative of tin that is a crucial component in the circuitry of many modern gadgets. It's in your mobile phone, laptop, digital cameras and gaming devices.

Cassiterite is widely sought after and very valuable. Indeed our demand for consumer electronics has resulted in a price surge for tin ore. Prices on the London Metal Exchange have increased from around USD 5 000 per tonne in 2003 to more than USD 26 000 per tonne in late 2010, according to the Financial Times.

Today a range of natural resources in the forests and jungles of the Congo are in great demand. Nevertheless, the Congo remains extremely poor. During the past 15 years more than 5 million have died in eastern Congo in a war between several armed groups. And it is estimated that no less than 300 000 women have been raped.

This has happened before in the Congo, which was colonised just over 100 years ago by King Leopold II of Belgium. He became one of the richest men in the world by selling rubber from the Congo. This was the time of industrialisation and the booming car industry depended on rubber.

Natural systems are also subject to new demands, such as for plant-based chemicals or for biomass to replace fossil fuels. Taken together, these mounting demands on a shrinking resource base point to serious risks to Europe's development.

'As global citizens we are all tied to the violence taking place in the Congo. The extraction of conflict minerals that sustains this conflict connects us all.'

Development for everyone

'The Millennium Declaration in 2000 was a milestone in international cooperation, inspiring development efforts that have improved the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world. The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) provide a structure for the entire international community to work together towards a common end.

'The goals are achievable but improvements in the lives of the poor have been unacceptably slow, and some hard-won gains are being eroded by the climate, food and economic crises.

'The world possesses the resources and knowledge to ensure that even the poorest countries and others held back by disease, geographic isolation or civil strife can be empowered to achieve the MDGs. Meeting the goals is everyone's business. Falling short would multiply the dangers of our world — from instability to epidemic diseases to environmental degradation. But achieving the goals will put us on a fast track to a world that is more stable, more just, and more secure.

'Billions of people are looking to the international community to realise the great vision embodied in the Millennium Declaration. Let us keep that promise.'

Europe and the new balance of power

As the 21st century progresses we see that more and more key global dynamics are outside Europe's influence and control. This has implications in terms of access to resources.

Globally, we see marked uncertainty regarding supply and access to a range of crucial natural resources: food, water and fuels. Europe's need for resources could in coming decades be matched by those of China, India, Brazil and others, putting even greater pressure on the environment.

Indeed, some developing nations are racing towards levels of economic activity equal to Europe's: their populations, consumption levels and production capacity have the potential to dwarf ours. Their legitimate quest to develop economically and socially will lead to greater use of global stocks of raw materials. China in particular is proving adept at securing access to raw materials from a range of countries and regions.

The human population is growing, technologies are advancing and the power of non-governmental private actors such as multinationals is expanding. In the context of weak international governance mechanisms, these forces threaten a global 'free for all' in securing and accessing natural resources.

Globalisation: a framework for human development

The very nature of globalisation also provides opportunities and structures for a different outcome. The seeds exist for effective, fair global governance of matters critical to us all.

The United Nations 'Millennium Development Goals' are just one example of a global policy process devoted to equitable and sustainable human development.

International climate talks have made progress over the past year. The Cancún Agreement, signed in December 2010 acknowledges for the first time in a United Nations document that global warming must be kept below 2 °C compared to the pre industrial temperature.

The agreement confirms that developed countries — whose industrial activities and footprint initiated manmade climate change — will mobilise USD 100 billion in climate funding for developing countries annually by 2020. It also establishes a Green Climate Fund through which much of the funding will be channelled.

Innovations such as the so-called 'REDD+' (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) mechanism enable action to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. None of these activities would be possible without global governance structures and a spirit of cooperation.

The European Union is seeking to promote collaborative responses to common challenges and goals. The EU's 2020 Vision sets out a strategy for growth designed around a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy.

A growing role for non-state actors

Global political processes clearly have an important role to play in ensuring that economic growth doesn’t destroy the underlying natural systems. But another defining characteristic of globalisation is the growing importance of non-government actors.

Multinational businesses, such as mobile phone and IT companies, can alsoplay a key role in delivering sustainable development. The first company to certify their products as free of ‘conflict’ minerals will have a positive impact on many lives and massive marketing potential.

We must take the innovative research and development examples of leading companies and apply them to the challenges facing us. We must mobilise the full range of problem-solving capacity available to us towards continued, sustainable development.

As citizens — individually and through non-governmental organisations — we are also mobilising. Some of us take to the streets to protest. Some are investing their time and energy in rediscovering food or community activism. Many are adjusting their consumption choices to minimise environmental impacts and ensure a fair return for producers in developing countries. The point is: globalisation is affecting all of us and we're beginning to wake up to the fact that we are not powerless: we can shape things.

Develop, create, work and educate

We must continue to develop, to create, to work and educate ourselves, and become smarter about our use of natural resources. For example, the first, critical aim of the Millennium Development Goals is to secure the natural environment on which the poorest of the poor depend for their daily survival.

This means managing natural resources in a way that that allows local communities to survive, then benefit and then advance. This is one of the major challenges facing us globally as we shall read in the next chapter on resources and forest-dwelling people in India.

It's a challenge in which Europeans have a large part to play. Managing global resources sustainably will be key to equitable economic prosperity, greater social cohesion and a healthier environment.

Innovation: minerals

Fingerprinting

At the Federal Institute of Natural Resources and Geological Science in Hanover, Germany, Dr Frank Melcher heads a team developing a way to certify the minerals used in electronics — in the same way as diamonds are certified. Each of the minerals in question has a distinct 'fingerprint' connected to its place of origin. 'To fingerprint minerals such as coltan and cassiterite we drill a small hole through that sample,' Dr Melcher explains.'Then we scan the sample for about two to three hours. We then analyse the volume for its composition. This is the fingerprint. And this is very typical for Bisie.

'From every grain analysed here, we get the formation age — the geological age — and we can say: this material must come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or from Mozambique, because we know exactly how old these grains should be.

'So it is technically possible to trace the raw minerals but they must be traced before they are smelted into metals,' he says.

Dr Melcher's work is undertaken as part of cooperation agreements between the German and Congolese governments for the project 'Strengthening of transparency and control of the natural resource sector in DRC'. Initiated in 2009, the work supports the DRC Ministry of Mines in implementing a mineral certification system for tin, tungsten, tantalite, and gold.

]]>No publishernatural resourcesconsumptionsustainable developmentglobalglobalisationpovertyminerals2011/06/27 13:29:51 GMT+2ArticleGreening the economy – preparing for a new Earth Summit in Riohttps://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/greening-the-economy-2013-preparing
European Environment Agency (EEA) Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade will be in New York this week, working towards a historic environmental summit next year.Inspiring sustainable development

In 1992, the landmark Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro proposed a new form of environmental governance, building breakthrough environmental agreements on climate change and biodiversity.

This week the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) meets at UN Headquarters in New York, and EEA Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade will be there to help set the agenda for next year's 'Rio+20 summit', which aims to assess progress and look to the future with new themes of the green economy and environmental governance.

The Sustainable Development Commission aims to "inspire governments, economies and society to embrace sustainable development as the central principal." It was established in 1992 and is charged with implementing recommendations agreed at the 1992 Summit.

Sustainable consumption in a green economy

The EEA and its Topic Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production co-hosted an expert seminar on sustainable consumption in a green economy with the Nordic Council of Ministers, which gathered a large number of policy makers and other stakeholders attending the CSD. EEA executive director, Jacqueline McGlade made a keynote speech on pathways to sustainable consumption and chaired a panel debate with high-level policy makers.

The seminar focused on the consumption perspective in a green economy, with a view at experiences from Europe and other regions of the world and panel discussions of how to promote sustainable consumption patterns and sustainable lifestyles globally that stimulate a greening of the economy.

'In order to reach the sustainable development goals and solve environmental problems, we must address environmental impact from both the production and consumption side, and further strengthen environmental considerations in economic and sectoral policy,' Prof. McGlade said at the event.

Sustainable production

Prof. McGlade will also participate in a key side event, 'Sustainable Consumption and Production – the building blocks for a Greener Economy'.

The objective of the side-event is to look forward to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June 2012 and discuss the linkages between sustainable consumption and production and policy instruments and practices for building a green economy within the framework of sustainable development and poverty eradication.

Teenagers, Facebook and the environment

The EEA is also using new communication tools. Prof. McGlade will present the newly launched EEA Facebook page at the Marymount Middle and Upper Schools in New York, and will speak with students about the environment and sustainable development. The event will include interviews and discussions with the school’s newspaper and environment club.

]]>No publishergreen economynatural resourcesconsumptionsustainable developmentsustainabilityproductionearth summit2011/05/06 17:50:00 GMT+2NewsUrban environment - SOER 2010 thematic assessmenthttps://www.eea.europa.eu/soer/europe/urban-environment
The global population is congregating in our cities. Eighty per cent of the world’s estimated nine billion people in 2050 are expected to live in urban areas. Our cities and urban areas face many challenges from social to health to environmental. The impacts of cities and urban areas are felt in other regions which supply cities with food, water and energy and absorb pollution and waste. However, the proximity of people, businesses and services associated with the very word ‘city’ means that there are also huge opportunities. Indeed, well designed, well managed urban settings offer a key opportunity for sustainable living.No publisherclimate change impactstemperature increasewater qualityurban sprawlsocial inequalitiessoil sealingurban environmentwelfareeducationsoer2010air qualitygreen urban areasurbanisationgreen spacehousingdroughtshuman healthresource efficiencyincomepublic spaceenvironmental footprintwastewater quantityurbannoisethematic assessmentsquality of lifesustainable housingpublic healthtrafficheat wavessocial equitycitiesurban areaspopulationurban ecosystemsfloodssustainable developmentclimate change mitigationurban designclimate change adaptationconsumption patternsovercrowdingpollution2010/11/25 18:25:00 GMT+2PublicationRenewed Strategy, by the Council of the European Union, No. 10917/06https://www.eea.europa.eu/policy-documents/10917-06
Review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS): Renewed Strategy, by the Council of the European Union, No. 10917/06. No publishersustainable development2010/07/05 14:50:00 GMT+2Policy DocumentThe territorial dimension of environmental sustainability – Potential territorial indicators to support the environmental dimension of territorial cohesionhttps://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/the-territorial-dimension-of-environmental-sustainability
This study undertakes an analysis of the
environmental dimensions of territorial cohesion
and of related EU policies. It is intended to
contribute to and support external processes
including the European Commission's Green
Paper on Territorial Cohesion, revision of the
EU budget (e.g. regarding Cohesion Policy) and
the work of ESPON (the European Spatial Planning
Observation Network) on territorial indicator
development.No publisherEU cohesion policysustainable developmentterritorial cohesionsustainabilitypoliciesEU strategyterritoryindicators2010/07/05 12:15:17 GMT+2PublicationEurope's environment — The fourth assessmenthttps://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/state_of_environment_report_2007_1
In this report, we underline the changes that have occurred in the environment and socio-economic context to help explain many of the environmental trends that have been observed. We identify successes and improvements but also
register old legacies that need further effort such as, in particular, air pollution, water issues and contaminated sites. New threats, which challenge
piecemeal solutions and call for integrated strategic measures at European and global levels, are described such as persistent chemicals in the environment, biodiversity loss, sustainable production and consumption and climate change.
And a new overview is given of the state of European marine areas and inland seas.No publisherclimate change impactshazardous chemicalssoilenergyinland wateragriculturepan-european environmentair qualitysustainable developmentbiodiversity monitoringsustainable forest managementenvironment for europehealthtransportclimate changeecological networkresource efficiencyresource use2010 biodiversity targetgreenhouse gas emissionsquality of lifestate of the environmentglobal warmingundpmarine and coastalpublic awarenesstourismozone depletionbiodiversityinvasive alien speciesclimate change mitigationclimate change adaptationsustainable farmingsustainable consumption and productionsocio-economy2007/10/10 12:00:00 GMT+2PublicationSustainable use and management of natural resourceshttps://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2005_9
This report was prepared in recognition of the importance of the sustainable use and management of natural resources on the policy agenda. Given the broad coverage of 'natural resources', it was decided to focus on a handful of natural resources: fisheries, forestry, water, fossil fuels, metals and construction minerals, and land use.No publishergdptechnological innovationmobilityrenewable energyeconomic competitivenessmetalsenergy consumptionsoil sealingfossil fuelsnon-renewable resourcespolicy measuresoverfishingdecouplingconsumptionsustainable developmentland useforestrywater resourcesproductionresource efficiencyimportsglobal tradeerosionconsumption patternsdevelopmentco2 emissionsfoodnatural resource conservationsustainable resource managementwatersustainabilitywater abstractionwater qualitypricespopulationconstruction mineralspolicy integrationcarbon sinkgreen economynatural resourcesfisheriesforest managementpricing policyeconomic growthdemographyhousing2006/01/05 03:00:00 GMT+2Publication